February 17, 2008
Oh, Bill, "If Only You'd Been A Better Boy"
COLUMBUS, OH - Politics as usual won't cut it. But Bill Clinton said this morning that America faces serious challenges, and that only the political system could address them.
"Politics is important, because there are some things we do through our elected leaders that can be done in no other way," he said at St. Paul AME Church this morning. "The truth is, we can never build a good society unless we have strong citizens, strong families and communities and churches, and strong leadership."
The former president spoke at length about problems in the economy and health care, and then talked about solutions that he said "only the political system can make." "Only the political system can decide, will you finally stop making excuses and get everybody health care and get rid of these excessive costs," he said. "You're not going to be able to save the economy or get more jobs past a certain job unless we do it. That is a decision for you to make."
Clinton also argued that the job of the president in particular is "to take the good intentions we all have and turn them into positive changes in other people's lives." "I respect everybody's choice in this election. This is not an easy deal," he said. "But the job we have to do now is vote for the person most likely to turn all of our good intentions into positive changes."
Clinton arrived this morning just in time for the church collection. Having just sat down, Clinton reached for his wallet, took out a few bills of unknown denomination and placed them in the collection plate.
After his remarks, Clinton remained on stage for the closing benediction and hymn. Without the help of a hymnal, the former president seemed to know all the words, singing loudly, at times with hand on heart. Clinton had joked that a relative once told him: "I think you could have been a preacher, Bill. If only you'd been a better boy."
(NBC/NJ's MIKE MEMOLI)
Posted at 04:17 PM
Comments
So who did he attribute this to, this time? I recall hearing him say in the 1992 campaign that it was something his mother said to him.
TKD | 02.17.08 06:03 PM
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